Can you specialize what kind of humor you want to add to your writings? Maybe it is geek humor, or abstract humor, or satire, or sarcasm or anything else from big shrine of humour?
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Daniel ExcinskyNov 20 '10 at 16:36

Would anybody like to clarify the distinction between "authors to read if you wanted to add humor to your writing" and "authors who write funny stuff"? If anybody's familiar with essays and books whose subject is how to write humor, those would seem particularly appropriate.
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Standback♦Feb 26 '11 at 17:07

It's good to see another Dave Barry fan out there. As there are already many answers given below, I would just suggest here that you read all sorts of humor, whatever you can find. Then, stick with the type you think could come from within you naturally. I enjoy a lot of writers' sense of humor, but there are only one or two authors whose type of humor I believe I could do myself.
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M.ASep 4 '11 at 14:02

Harry Harrison with the Stainless Steel Rat series and Robert Asprin with Myth Adventures are two others that would be good. It would also probably be worth watching Charlie Chaplin movies, the studied simplicity of his comedy is brilliant.

If I had to name only one source, it would be M. Helitzer - Comedy Writing Secrets - the best book on comedy writing I've ever read. It explains why certain things are funny, describes techniques for brainstorming and writing jokes, and it's also a pretty funny book.

Books

My favourite humorists are P.G. Wodehouse (Jeeves or Castle Blandings novels and short stories), David Lodge (The British Museum Is Falling Down, Changing Places) and Woody Allen (short stories). Personally I consider T. Wolfe a very funny author, especially his latest novel I Am Charlotte Simmons.

+1 for Wodehouse. Some of the funniest prose I've ever read. Hugh Laurie has said in an interview that reading Wodehouse saved his life (Laurie is chronically depressed. And very English. Which might be redundant).
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Lauren IpsumSep 14 '11 at 22:06

Although a radio show, much of the humor could translate to writing. How information is revealed during a story, small detail by small detail, in what order, is very important for humor, and he's a master at that. Choice of words. Some of his show won't translate at all into writing - the excellent sound effects, tone of voice of the actors, though these things too are worthy of study in learning humor techniques.